Paloma Gil and Lou Hayat’s blissful harmonies are on display with the languid, slow burn of The Dove & The Wolf‘s latest single, "Motion Sickness". It’s one of the two new additions to the band’s EP I Don’t Know What To Feel, which is being reissued on March 24 via Fat Possum. The duo is currently down at SXSW, where the ladies will be performing this afternoon at Hotel San Jose and Saturday evening at Madewell. They’ll also be reconnecting with Jens Lekman soon after for the European leg of their tour.

We’re in the middle of SXSW, and as more and more bands continue to ascend on Austin, it gives us a chance to check out some Philly acts, making the trek, that we are less familiar with. Earlier this year, the trio of Tall Friend re-released its debut EP Tawl Friend on vinyl via Exploding Sound Records. Singer-songwriter Char (a.k.a. Charlie Pfaff) recorded the introspective collection of tracks with bandmates Cale Cuellar and Jesse Paller during the spring of 2015 at Kokomo. Pfaff was only seventeen years old at the time, which is obviously surprising given the stark, honest beauty of her initial effort. Tall Friend will be performing this evening at the Funeral Sounds/Topshelf Records Unofficial SXSW Showcase at Eden House Co-Op, with fellow Philadelphians Kississippi, as well the Official Exploding In Sound Records Showcase on Thursday, March 16 at The Velveeta Room. (Photo by Lora Mathis)

Vita and the Woolf explore a shadowy, minimalist-pop approach on their latest single, "Feline". It’s seductive, building on every breath before Jennifer Pague’s powerful voice bellows into the wind like a banshee. It’s a truly captivating track that you’ll be able to find on the group’s forthcoming LP Tunnel, scheduled for release in April via Believe Digital. Vita and the Woolf are currently on tour with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and they’ll be performing next in Philly on Friday, April 21 at Ortlieb’s, alongside fellow Deli Philly Best Emerging Artist Poll Top Performer, Deadfellow.

After releasing a multitude of EPs and singles, Corey Regensberg, a.k.a. Moon Bounce, has finally dropped his first full-length album, titled Clean House. Available digitally and on 12" vinyl via Grind Select, the LP finds a balance between sultry soul/R&B and glitched-out electropop. The groovetastic, off-kiltered production and surprisingly smooth falsetto vocals certainly helps to separate Regensberg from what is currently coming up from the local underground music scene. Moon Bounce is heading out on tour at the end of this month with New Jersey’s Ehiorobo in support of Clean House, and they’ll be closing things out in Philly on Friday, April 14 at the recently resuscitated Ulana’s.

Krust Toons: "Promoter Facebook Friend Requests" by Tedd Hazard – please feel free to drop him a line at teddandthehazards@gmail.com if you dig or have any funny ideas. You can also check out more of his illustrations and animation shorts HERE.

So the bad news first, Legendary Divorce have decided to call it a day. However, they just dropped a new full-length as a parting gift of sorts. With proceeds going to Mazzoni Center and Planned Parenthood Action, Horizontal finds the quartet in raw, rock splendor. Menacing, pulverizing beats light a fuse with bad intentions, clearing a path for Itarya Leo’s vocals to explode unleashing a guttural aggression. All the members currently have new projects, so hopefully we’ll get to hear them again performing in one form or another.

With the use of swirling synths, Pretty Words create a steady, building groove that encompasses the stream of consciousness lyrics on their latest single "Hole". It’s a more polished-sounding offering than the group’s previous recordings, while still maintaining the band’s original loose, garage-rock/pop feel. You’ll be able to find the track on Pretty Words’s forthcoming self-titled EP, which was recorded at the Sex Dungeon in West Philly, and is due out this St. Patty’s Day.

Janitor Boy, the new EP from Evan M. Marré, a.k.a. Russel the Leaf, was recently released via Sleeper Records. Developing an intricate feathery instrumental foundation, while building sonic systems, whose parts retain no burden of weight, the sound is enriching, melodically layered yet refreshingly light. It takes an apt touch to explore the varying avenues, without jumbling up all the wires. Russel the Leaf is scheduled to appear alongside Boosegumps, It’s Cool, and Wilt on Monday, March 20 at The Waiting Room. (Photo by Katie Bennett)

We just completed our final poll for the categories of Hip Hop/Funk/Electronica. After compiling the jurors’, readers’/fans’ and writers’ votes, congrats go out to Moor Mother, a.k.a. Camae Ayewa! We first encountered the experimental musician/poet/curator/activist as Camae Defstar, co-fronting politically charged punk/hip-hop outfit The Mighty Paradocs. She later began producing and releasing her own solo material as Moor Mother Goddess, before dropping last year’s critically acclaimed Fetish Bones (Don Giovanni) under her revised, current moniker. The hometown renaissance woman has been grinding away for years in the Philadelphia music scene, refining her artistic vision, while being a supportive force in the local music community, so we are very happy to see her gaining recognition and continuing to do so on her own terms – bravo!

We’d also like to send out some love to our most recent Readers’/Fans’ Poll Winners, Wax Future, who also finished second overall in the Hip Hop/Funk/Electronica category. And coming in third, Hardwork Movement have proven in 2016 that their band name is more than just a name; it’s their ethos. We’ll be sharing our final results for this year’s Best Emerging Philly Artists Poll with our list of Top Performers, so remember to check back tomorrow! 

Sadsadsosad doesn’t pull any punches entitling its debut EP A Couple of Songs You Can Sorta Dance to, But They’re Kinda Sad. However, despite the fact that both the tracks maneuver through a musical melancholy, they represent different points on the sadness spectrum. “You’re Never Around” juxtaposes the loose, quirky, pulsating beat with a whispered narrative of loneliness and abandonment, while “My Dog Is Dead and This Is How I’m Dealing With It” serves as a subdued, sensitive tribute to one’s beloved best friend. It’s so bittersweet.